1. Technical Field
The various embodiments described herein are related to radio frequency identification (RFID), and more particularly to validation of an RFID-enabled license plate.
2. Related Art
RFID technology harnesses electromagnetic fields to transfer data wirelessly. The primary use for RFID technology is the automatic identification and tracking of objects via RFID tags, which can be attached or incorporated into a variety of objects. Examples include credit cards, passports, license plates, identity cards, cellphones/mobile devices, etc. RFID technology also has applications in numerous areas, including, but not limited to, electronic tolling, parking access, border control, payment processing, asset management, and transportation. Thus, for example, a license plate that includes an RFID tag can be used for the purposes of electronic toll collection (ETC), electronic vehicle registration (EVR), border crossing, etc.
RFID technology has been the enabler behind the EVR systems. For example, an RFID registration tag can be placed on the windshield of a vehicle, and can then be scanned by a reader to verify registration and compliance information; however, the existing technology used by the EVR system is limited to passive detection (e.g., at EVR checkpoints) of unregistered or improperly registered vehicles. As such, an improperly registered vehicle or an unregistered vehicle can remain in operation as long as the driver of such a vehicle is able to evade EVR checkpoints.